Stocking and like suspender fittings



June 27, 1933. WALKER ET AL 1,916,088

STOCKING AND LIKE SUSPENDER FITTINGS Filed Sept. 16, 1931 tNVENTOR- Z2QMW ATTORNEYS Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED 1 STATES PATENT OFFICE"GILBERT THOMAS WALKER AND HERBERT HOWARD WOOD, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENG- LAND,ASSIGNORS TO THOMAS WALKER LIMITED, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, A COMPANY OFGREAT BRITAIN, AND LEETHEMS (TWILFI'IU LIMITED, 0 F PORTS- MOUTH,ENGLAND,'A COMPANY OF GREAT BRITAIN STOCKING AND LIKE SUSPENDER FITTINGS1 Application filed September 16, 1931, Serial No. 563,152, and in GreatBritain September 18,1930.

This invention relates to suspenders for stockings and the like butparticularly for silk stockings, and has reference to the stud and loopfastener elements of the suspender between which the material of thestocking or the like is engaged" and gripped.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for positivelypreventing laddering or tearing of the stocking in use and for reducingdistortion and strain of the material of the stocking, as well as .forpreventing close frictional contact between the base of the stud andtheunderside of the stocking. v

According to this invention the loop or slotted frame of the suspenderfitting is formed with a bent-up lower end, having a rigid bridge orarch, and the stud or fastening element of the suspender is adapted toengage behind the bridge or arch of the said lower endof, the loop orframe and to clamp the material of a stocking or the like against thebridge or arch along a line which fol lows the contour of the latter forsubstantially its entire length. Owing to this line contact which isobtained and owing to the rigid bent-up end of the loop or frame a firmand eificient grip on the material is obtained and the pull or strainis, at the same time, distributed over a comparatively wide area, insuch a manner that laddering is effectively prevented. The bent-up endmay be of rounded wire andthe edge of thelstud suitably curved toco-operate therewith and give a close wedging grip when fully insertedbeneath the bridge or arch. The stud or fastening element may have apointed lower portion, the head of the stud being conveniently of a pearshape. 1

Figure lof the accompanying drawing represents a front view of asuspender fitting constructed in accordance with this invention, showingthe manner in whichthe stud may engage the bent-up end of theloop orframe. I

.Figure 2 is a side view of the fitting.

. Figure 3 is a vertical section through same, the position taken up bythe stocking being indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 4 represents an underside view of the fitting, showing the shapeof the upi turned end of the loop or frame.

Figure '5 is'a cross-section on the line 5-5,. Figure 1.

Figure 6 illustrates a front View of a slightly modified form of fittingin which a circular stud element is employed instead of a pear-shapedstud as in thepreceding figures.

' Figure 7 is a side view of the fitting illustrated in the precedingfigure.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawing, the improved Suspenderfitting comprises a wire loop or frame 1 adapted to be attached by theloop 2 to the lower end of thesus-v pender band and provided with theusual opening toreceive a co-operating stud element 3 carried byadepending tab 4, the

stud 3 being engaged through the enlarged upper endof the opening andslid down into the narrow lower portion of the same in known manner, sothat the stocking is gripped between the stud 3 andthe frame or loop 1.The stud 3, which may be of rubber or celluloid, or'rubber or fabriccovered, comprises an enlarged pear-shaped head portion having curvededges and a substantially fiat outer face and carried by a short shankor neck 5 flattened at opposite sides and of a width substantially equalto the width of the narrow lower part of the frame opening, the sidesofthe lower part of the frameor loopl being arranged parallel to oneanother and terminating at their lower extremities in a semi-circularend portion 1. The said semi-circular transverse end portion 1 of theloop is curled or bent forwardly, so that it projects out from the planeof the main part of the loop as shown in Figure 2, and forms a rigidbridge or arch. The pointed end 3 of the pear-shaped head of the stud ispresented downwards and the arrangement is such that when the stud 3 isslid down into the lower end of the frame opening the'said.

pointed end 3 fof the head of the stud passes and fits snugly behind thebridge or arch 1 of the frame engaging both between the sides and alsowith the middle portion, in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1to 3 of the drawing, so that the material of the stocking is grippedagainst the whole lengthof the bridge or arch. The said bridge orforwardly bent end of the frame 1 thus forms a pocket into which thestud element engages. The neck 5 0f the stud, on the other hand, en'-gaged on opposite sides by the parallel sides of the main part of theframe or loop 1, but the underside of the neck is left clear orunobstructed owing to the end 1 of the frame or loop being forwardlybent.

In use, the stocking is placed over the stud 3 which is then engagedwithin the frame or loop 1, and when the stud 3 has been moved down toengage behind the bridge or forwardly-bent lower end 1* of the latter,as above described, the material of the stocking is firmly grippedbetween the pointed lower portion 3 of the head of the stud and the archor bridge 1 along a line which follows the contour of the bridge or archfor substantially its entire length, the curved'edge of the studco-operating with the rounded wire of the arch to give a close wedginggrip when the stud is fullyinserted. In additionthe material is heldbetween the sides of the neck 5 and the respective sides of, the mainpart of,

the loop or frame. Owing to the bending forwardly of the end of the loopor frame the stocking is not drawn in against the underside of the neckof the stud or around the'lower end of the frame, and consequently ithangs down straight from the top of the head of the stud clear of theunderside of the neck in the manner illustrated by dotted lines inFigure 3; whilst the pull on the stocking is distributed over acomparatively wide area. Owing to the line contact around the bridge orarch laddering or tearing of the material is effectively prevented andunsightly puckeriug of the material is avoided. The head end of the stud3, moreover, lies whollybehind or inwards of the forwardly-projectingextremity of the bridge l of the frame, as will be seen from thedrawing, and the material of the stocking is thus prevented from bulgingoutwards at the point where it engages over the stud. Further, thearrangement is such that the pull on the stocking has a tendency to keepthe head of the stud snug against the frame, with the base 6 of the studwell away from the latter, so that close frictional contact between thecovering of the base and the inside of the stocking is prevented andwear of the stocking avoided.

Instead of the head of the stud 3 being of a pear shape it may be ofacircular shape, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lower portion of theperipheral edge of the stud '3 fitting against the, opposite sides ofthe forwardly bent bridge or arch end part 1 of the loop or frame 1 whenit is moved down into its fastening position, so that the lower portionof its periphery engages behind the middle portion of the forwardly-bentend, the head of the stud lying behind the forward extremity of thelatter, as illustrated in Fig- 1,91e,oes

ure 7. The stocking is thus gripped between the edge of the bridge orforwardlyturned part 1 of the loop or frame and the edge of the stud 8along the whole length of the said bridge, and the line contact which isobtained effectively prevents laddering, the stocking hanging down, asin the previous arrangement, clear of the underside of the neck 5 ofthestud, so that it is only drawn in against the neck at opposite sides ofthe frame. Also the head of the stud is kept beneath theforwardly-turned end of the frame, with the base 6 of the stud well awayfrom the latter, thus preventing close frictional contact between thesaid base and the underside of the stocking.

The stud may be of an oval or triangular shape, if desired, or it may beof any other suitable shape, with or without a pointed end, so as toco-operat-e with the rigid forwardly-turned end of the loop or frame,and grip or engage the stocking as above described.

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is: Y

1. A suspender fastener fitting for stockings and the like, comprising aloop frame, a transverse and forwardly-directed rigid bridge at thelower end thereof, a depending tab attached. to the loop frame andcarrying a stud thereon, the said stud at the lower end and on the outerface thereof being in continuous line contact with the entire width ofthe said rigid bridge when in an operative position thereby clamping thematerial of the stocking against the latter in a close wedging gri 2. Asuspender fastener fitting for stockings and the like, comprising a loopframe, a transverse forwardly-directed rigid bridge at the lower endthereof, a depending tab attached to the loop frame and carrying a stud,the said stud having a pointed lower end, the said lower end being incontinuous line contact with the said rigid bridge and being encircledthereby when in an operative position so as to clamp the material of thestocking against the bridge along a line extending substantially theentire length of the latter, the stocking material being firmly grippedthereby.

3. A suspender fitting for stockings and the like, comprising a loopframe, a transverse forwardly-directed rigid arch at the lowerendthereof, a depending tab attached to the loop frame and carrying a stud,the said stud at its lower end being shaped to be in continuous linecontact with the said arch and lying there beneath when in operativeposition, the material of the stocking thereby being clamped between thelower end of the stud and the arch along a line which extendssubstantially the entire length of the arch, the said arch being ofrounded wire to cooperate with the stud and provide a close wedginggrip.

4. A suspender fastener fitting for stockings and the like, comprising aloop frame, having at its lower end a transverse and forwardly-directedrigid bridge, a depending tab attached to the loop frame and carrying astud, the said stud having a pointed end with an edge shaped to be inline contact with the contour of the bridge for the entire width of thelatter when in an operative position such that the edge of the studcooperates with the bridge to provide a close wedging grip.

5. A suspender fastener fitting for stockings and the like, comprising aloop frame having a transverse forwardly-directed rigid arch of roundedwire at its lower end, a depending tab attached to the loop frame andcarrying a stud, the said stud having a pointed lower end with a curvedarch portion adapted when in operativeposition to fit beneath and be inline contact with the contour of the arch, the rigidity of the archcausing the stocking material to be firmly held between the arch and thestud in a close wedging grip.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

GILBERT THOMAS WALKER.

HERBERT HOWVAR-D WOOD.

